Try, and Try Again...and Again.....

I am working on my 4rth bracelet for the Traveling Bracelets project.  Sometimes in designing a project the toughest part is deciding on the background color. I do have my "go to" colors that usually work out fairly well, but I wanted a different, spectacular color.

What makes the background color hard to choose at times is the design, particularly if it is an image. Sometimes the image has only a few of a particular color of bead to define a shape. If I am not careful, this design element can get lost. If the design has light and dark colors at the edge of the design elements, choosing a background color can get especially tricky. Too light, and the design elements can get lost in the background. Too dark, and the design elements can get lost in the background. Like Goldilocks, it has to be "just right!"

I wanted to use this yummy iris bead. I love the color. Since this design is inspired by Asian art, which often has a gold outline. This bead did not work with the shiny 31 gold. The shine of both bead types just gets lost.

Try #1. DB31 doesn't work as an outline.
It gets lost!

So...how about a matte gold bead for the outline of the flower?? This was slightly better. But now I could see that the green of the flower stem was near impossible to see, especially under certain light conditions. It looked fine under my Ott light in the evening, but during the day, I didn't like it. Plus I was still not too happy with the outline of the flower.

Try #2.
Still not happy!!

Ok. Maybe I need a DIFFERENT background color. Maybe something darker, less gold in the bead. I was not sure about the green working with my new background color. I tested it out under my Ott light.  I thought it might work. Certainly the gold outline worked better. I also though I needed to change the read of the flower. How about purple?

A DISASTER!!! Especially since I could not see the non-outlined flower bud.

Back to the drawing board.

Try #3
DISASTER!!

Now that I have spent all weekend on this bracelet, I was getting FRUSTRATED!! I hoped that this time I would make a better choice. Otherwise, I would choose one of my usual go-to colors! I have had near enough!

The background color I chose appeared to be better.YIPPIE!! Maybe a few changes in some of the design colors would help.

I tried a light pink for the flower. It was too light believe it or not, it blended with the white. R-I-P,
R-I-P. I ripped out the beads past the pink.

I tried a brighter pink. Seemed to do the trick.

I tried a pale yellow for the bird's beak. Ok, I tried 2 different pale yellows. Neither worked. So  I went back to the original orange. Much better.

So this is what I am sticking to. It is about 1/2 done. I think it will work!

I am sticking with this combo!